Leadership Vacuum Part II: Volunteer vs. Paid Staff Issues Linger and Persist...

We need a leader.  We desperately need a leader to step forward and take charge of the ECFR and fix multiple issues.  We all watched what happened with the respirators fiasco--and hopefully EVERYONE saw the rapid and unified response from the BCC as we voted to spend $2.9 Million to fix that lingering issue about which we were just made aware.

We support firefighters, I support all first responders.  This is why this current situation is so damn frustrating.

Now I know that department has been in turmoil over the last several years, as issues of harassment have been dealt with and as leaders have resigned.

 But now more than ever we need a leader to step up in ECFR, a new chief, to get things under control and bring a unified message to the board so that we can be a part of the solution. 

And that does not mean I will genuflect to a proposal thrown at me demanding a 70% year over year budget increase complete with the demand that we raise taxes to fund it.  Nope.  We need to be better and we need to be smarter. 

And for my vote--We MUST treat volunteers as equals and not as fourth class citizens.  We must embrace them and support them and appreciate them.  For my vote, any 5-year plan I support will include robust line-items for cultivating, recruiting, equipping, and training volunteers as well as paid fire staff.  It has to be both.

Meanwhile, the devastating negative impacts of the leadership vacuum at ECFR continue to manifest themselves.  Just today, just this morning as I am about to prepare to go to church, I am told of new ways in which volunteers are being squeezed.....From one volunteer, just this morning.

"Well apparently there was a staff meeting yesterday with the career crews and it was said that volunteer trucks cannot roll without a crew of at least 3 certified. And battalion chiefs and career officers are being told to cancel volunteers even if we are way closer. this is all being done by the career crews at some meeting somewhere we knew nothing about and had no one there to represent the volunteers."

A different individual contacted me today and said this---and this is going to quickly become a special area of interest for me--equipment.  Volunteers should not be schlepping for beat-up, old, or used equipment.  They should have everything they need to do their job safely but as this individual reports below, this is not the case:  

"at this point what are they (county/career) going to do is  target me at this point however they have targeted every volunteer to try everything they can to remove hold back or push us out. 

On 8/3/19 the volunteers were at station XXX from 1300 til around 2100hrs thru the day which was busy we ran a forced entry call we was cancelled by ems wasn’t needed then got called to a gas odor call turned out gas line outside was leaking. (We have no gas detector on XXXX). So we called XXXX for gas detector, then we were dispatched to a allergy call on 57th and Jackson. 

Responded to these calls as a crew of 2 certified and 1 trainee. Which we have since I been in the county now for 3 yrs. 

However last  night we was responding to a medical alarm crew of 2 certified and 2 non-certified (trainees) and was almost there when XXXXXXXXXXXX cancelled us and told us to return that XXXX would go to that call. We called XXXXX when we got back to station and he informed us that the new directive is now for volunteers to run/replace the career company that we have to have a crew of 3 certified on the truck. Unless the career company is on a call then we can go to the call without a crew of 3 certified. So with that being said without a crew of 3 at all times at the station with career personnel we as volunteers will not run calls unless the career company is stuck at a call.  What i don’t understand is our trainees (non-certified) have their emergency first responder and they're told 

Is This Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying---or is it Hazing? What Would You Call This?

I have received several complaints about mistreatment of volunteer firefighters in ECFR.  I am going to ask the administrator to look into these--and I hope they are not founded and/or are isolated incidents that can be rectified 

I've been contacted by multiple volunteer firefighters who are telling me the same thing:  They are not being welcomed, nor are they being treated fairly.  They are stymied throughout the application process, and new volunteer outreach has slowed to a crawl.  One volunteer with whom I spoke summed it up grimly.

“The county wants to know why volunteerism is down in Escambia county it’s not because people don’t want to be volunteers, it’s because they don’t want to be treated like they’re 3rd class citizens….volunteers need the help of the commissioners because we are getting rail-roaded by the career union we need help recruiting if its adds in the news paper or commercials on the radio or tv anything will help.”

Some of what I am hearing about the mistreatment is disturbing, to say the least.

In some instances, the treatment goes beyond just being treated "unfairly" and stymied—in some of these accounts, which I intend to discuss with our new administrator today, it sounds like it could be considered harassment, bullying, or hazing.

Regardless of what one chooses to call it—I find it unacceptable from a professional organization that is supposed to function as a cohesive unit, together, paid and volunteer, one force, one fight. 

But it does not sound as if that is happening.  The leadership vacuum persists apparently-which is disappointing coming off of all the scrutiny the board has demanded based upon a recent harassment claim settlement in ECFR.  We MUST get the culture sorted out so that everyone is treated fairly, respectfully, and valued for their service—paid staff and volunteer alike!

According to one volunteer:

“On multiple mornings after the volunteers were up all night running calls, the oncoming career crew comes in the bunk rooms with flash lights and screaming reveille reveille reveille like we are in boot camp, making it so that volunteers don’t want to spend the night anymore they make it as hard as possible to be a volunteer firefighter”

With respect to equipment—this certainly got my attention:

“I feel as a volunteer firefighter I am treated as a 3rd class citizen my turn out gear is expired by over 8 year but it’s ok because I’m a volunteer the career personnel on the other hand have to have 2 sets of in- date gear though.”

Another volunteer, from a different station, related this to me:

 “about the infighting, it’s worse than what you are seeing. They set a trap in a locker (unlocked) for water to spill at station XXXXX to see if anyone was digging thru their stuff. They’ve been locking the engines up on purpose, they’ve taken the straps off the cones on the volunteer engine so that when we return for a call and take a call, they would fall off on purpose.”

“a battalion chief got really mad on scene with volunteers in recent weeks and belittled them on

Not ALL Firefighters Supported Yesterday's No Confidence Vote

The messaging from the paid fire union did not square with the sentiments of many volunteers in ECFR

In the wake of the professional firefighter's union vote of "no confidence" yesterday in Public Safety director Mike Weaver---I was contacted by and spoke to multiple high-ranking Escambia County Firefighters.  Those with whom I communicated were from the volunteer side of the house.

(Note: there are 300+ firefighters in Escambia--of which 160 or so are volunteers....)

"We did not support this vote, and Nick Gradia does not represent us nor does he speak for us" said one volunteer who sounded frustrated.  He continued  "They are using these challenges to try to strong-arm the board into hiring more paid firefighters, and this is going to lead to the board having to raise taxes again--it will turn into a giant tax increase for the citizens and we don't support that."  He said.  He went on to detail his opinion about the timing of this vote:  "They are bargaining right now and they are doing this to improve their position."

Another volunteer put it in more succinct terms when that individual reached out later in the day..."This vote does not represent the majority of the firefighters I know.  We all know we have challenges and that the county is trying to do the best they can."

When I asked this individual how the teaming was going between paid and volunteer at his station--he summed it up by saying  "It varies. some shifts treat the volunteers well, but it is not consistent.  If it is a medical call, and depending on what crew is on shift, they may let volunteers run the call or ride with them because they know an EMS will be right behind them."  "But if it is a structure fire or an auto wreck that they have to extract a driver or passenger from--then they tell us to stay in the station"  Then he said dryly  "Then we see the pictures on their social media, on their facebook page"

For my part--knowing what I know about EMS and the current challenges they are facing and also

Fire Service Facilities

Should the paid fire crews take every fire call and leave the volunteers at the stations to run medical calls?

This Thursday's County Commission meeting will have an important discussion about a fire service facility in Escambia County that desperately needs mold remediation and some other repairs. 

This meeting topic, how to fix the Myrtle Grove fire station, is just one conversation of many that need to be taking place in the months to come, in my opinion. 

While Myrtle Grove's facility deficiencies are unique to Myrtle Grove---seven other fire houses in the county (that like Myrtle Grove are not owned by the county) have various issues that will need to be addressed at some time in the near future.

So what is the best way to address these facility problems, knowing the county won't spend money on facilities the county doesn't own?

One option, the expensive one, is to buy these facilities outright from the volunteer fire departments that own them currently.  Next, such facilities could be demolished and new fire houses built at a cost to taxpayers of around $2-$3Million dollars each.  This is the option I favor the least....

A better option, in my opinion, is to allow the volunteer departments to keep ownership of their property and facilities, with the county coming in to remediate these facilities' deficiencies in exchange for  long term use agreement (s) for the county to use these stations. 

This option is less expensive, and I believe it will also serve to compel the career staffs that will in some cases be operating out of these locations to better cooperate and interact with the volunteer staffs that also operate out of these stations.

What do I mean by this?

Right now, the volunteer firefighter numbers are dwindling.  Many I have spoken with have shared with me that they worry they will be "forced out" when career crews come to man their stations.

Volunteer firefighters have the same certifications and training as their career counterparts--yet these personnel cost a fraction of what career firefighters cost in terms of salaries, benefits, and pension costs. 

I'm told one 12 man paid, career crew costs taxpayers $1Million dollars per year. 

So we should be treating the volunteers very well, we should thank them for their willingness to serve, right?  Unfortunately, in some instances this is not happening.

"We're treated like second class citizens" one veteran volunteer shared with me.  "When the new career guys arrived, they started taking all the fire calls, leaving us at the station to do medical

Fire Service Protection In Escambia County: Paid or Volunteer, What are the Options?

I have visited with fire personnel from several stations in Escambia County.  Volunteer, career paid, and one that is transitioning to a paid staff.  My feeling on the subject, driven by conversations with firefighters I know and supplemented by research, is that we should foster a better relationship between volunteer and career firefighters in Escambia County.  If we support and fund the volunteer recruiting efforts, I see no reason why we cannot maintain the volunteer houses we currently have.  If we give equivalent levels of resources to the volunteers, this would be a good starting point.  According to a volunteer firefighter from Beulah that I know well, 69% of America is covered by volunteer fire service protection.  And, these volunteers have the same certifications as their paid counterparts.  With Escambia County being a county that has both high density and low density rural areas, I believe that fire service protection here, and the way it is structured and operated, could be a model for other similar counties around the country.  Respect the volunteers, help them staff the volunteer stations on the times and shifts when they are not available (because they are working day jobs), and sustain them with adequate levels of funding for facilities, equipment, and recruiting and training.  Then, help the leadership of the paid and the career units foster a better working relationship.  All of these things can be done, so far as I can tell, without raising tax rates or dumping more MSBU's on local property owners. We all want the fire truck to come when we need it, and if the system is working why change it.  As a fiscal conservative I want the find the most cost-effective, efficient system for providing this protection.  The volunteers want to volunteer, they want to give back, they just want to be supported and funded appropriately---so they can continue to do what they do effectively.  Who would be against this?